


lost time

by enamuko



Series: FE Polyweek 2k17 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-23 20:18:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11997204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enamuko/pseuds/enamuko
Summary: Gunter has a problem with the romantic relationship that's developed between Corrin and Iago. It's not the problem most people expect him to have-- though he won't admit it. Unfortunately for him, Iago is observant, and happy to torment him.





	1. beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Just a note: this may not strike people as particularly 'poly' for having been written as a polyship week prompt. That's because I originally intended this to end differently, but MY GOD it got long. Eventually I had to end it because I needed to work on the other prompts. So while there's mention of a potential poly relationship, this is pretty pre-poly. Think of it as the setup for a poly relationship (likely of the V format, though I'm pretty partial to any combination of Iago, Gunter, and Corrin, as those who know my work can attest to).
> 
> BUT. I noticed that there was a prompt for Friday, Sept 8 that would work perfectly as a continuation right where this has left off. So this will be my first multichapter work for one of these prompt weeks. I'm hoping the second chapter will actually come out on Friday, but since I'm still working on Thursday's prompt, it might not. Keep an eye out for it if you liked this one, though!

Iago felt like an idiot.

When had he last taken up precious time to prepare for a… _date_ , of all things? He wanted to say ‘never’, but chances were his mother had roped him into some arranged disaster at _some_ point that he’d repressed the memory of long ago. He certainly couldn’t _remember_ ever doing so… or ever _wanting_ to do so. And yet, here he was…

His phone buzzing on the marble of the bathroom counter snapped Iago out of whatever reverie had him standing at the mirror straightening his tie for a solid five minutes. He snatched it up before he could stop and think about how pathetic it all was.

“Yes, Corrin?” He glanced at the caller ID, but even without it he could make a fairly educated guess about who was calling him. There weren’t many people who had his personal number, and—against his better judgement—his work phone was staying home for the evening.

_“Iago? You haven’t left yet, have you?”_

“No, still getting ready.” He adjusted his cuffs for perhaps the dozenth time that evening, the phone wedged between his shoulder and his ear.

 _“Oh, good! There’s been a… small change of plans.”_ There was a rather frantic shuffling in the background. _“Can we meet at the restaurant instead? Felicia—!”_ Corrin was cut off by the sound of something breaking. Iago sighed and shifted the phone to his other ear as he adjusted his other cuff.

“It doesn’t matter to me. As long as we’re on time for our reservation.” He looked himself over one last time to make sure nothing was out of place. He looked more put together than he did on work days; of course, he always tried to dress nicely, as was befitting of someone in his position… but he’d paid extra attention in washing and combing his hair, and for once he’d had enough sleep to diminish (if not completely get rid of) the bruise-like bags under his eyes.

 _“Great! See you there, then! Felicia, don’t—!”_ Another loud crash in the background, followed by more shuffling. _“Jakob, grab that before it—”_

The call suddenly cut out, and his phone helpfully disconnected the dead call for him. He had memories of visiting Corrin’s house alongside Garon years ago, and he had no problem with meeting him elsewhere if it meant avoiding _that_ entire mess…

Well, he’d done about all he could. He had no concept of whether he actually looked good or not, but… well, he supposed that was a problem for someone else to deal with.

This was going to be fun…

 

* * *

 

 Iago pulled up in front of the restaurant. A valet approached with a false smile on his face, hiding both his hand-rubbing in anticipation of a tip and the grimace hiding behind the smile over having to deal with yet another customer.

Iago climbed out of his car and tossed him his keys without saying a word, refusing to smile even at the rather amusing sight of his fumbling not to drop them.

He checked his phone as he strode towards the front door. No texts from Corrin, which meant he was the first to arrive—Corrin’s phone never seemed to be out of his hand when they were apart, and he seemed to make a conscious effort not to check it when they were together. He walked up to the maître d’s podium and gave him a look like he was thinking of buying the place. He had no desire to let a snooty restaurant manager walk all over him…

“Reservation for Iago Macbeth.”

The maître d looked him up and down before deciding to turn his nose up at him. It would have bothered Iago more if he wasn’t sure his face was stuck in that position…

“Right this way, sir.”

He turned on his heel and led him through the latticed doors into the dining room. It was a nice enough place, he supposed… suitably low lighting, tastefully furnished, quiet without being awkwardly silent with the background murmur of conversation, clinking of dinnerware, and gentle string music playing in the background. He’d never cared much for find dining; he’d always thought of it as a waste of money, good for nothing but showing off one’s social status, and he’d never been one for peacocking. As long as his food met his needs and was edible, he was fine. But since Corrin had hardly ever been outside that house of his, it would have been… _unkind_ to deny his request. And that was something he was learning to be more aware of.

The maître d led him to a table on the far side of the room, framed by several picture windows and a lattice screen that gave the table a degree of privacy. A menu was set in front of him as he sat down at the seat closest to the window.

“May I bring you something to drink while you wait, sir?”

“A glass of the house red,” he said as he reached for the menu with one hand and for his phone with the other. A quick text to Corrin couldn’t hurt…

 

* * *

 

 Nearly a full glass of wine later, Iago spotted someone he recognized stepping through the doors… someone he was expecting to see, but not the person he was _hoping_ to see.

“Iago.”

“Gunter.”

Corrin’s long-time babysitter and full-time busybody slid into the seat across from him, facing the window with his back to the door. He looked almost… _smug_. Not that Iago found that surprising.

“You’re late,” he said as he drained the last of his glass of wine.

“Didn’t you drive here?” He gestured to Iago’s wine glass as he picked up one of the other menus the maître d had left at the table.

“Perhaps if you hadn’t been so late, I wouldn’t have needed to occupy myself… and a glass of wine with dinner is hardly going to inebriate me.” He was tempted to have a second, in fact, but he’d never had much of a stomach for the stuff. “Where’s Corrin?”

“Impatient, aren’t you?” Gunter snorted and took his time leisurely browsing the menu, not looking at Iago. “Corrin’s been delayed by a bit of a hiccough at home. He sent me ahead to let you know he would be even later arriving. Generously, he even offered to pay for the meal as an apology… though I told him that was hardly necessary.”

“Good.” Screw it, he was going to have another glass. He gestured for a passing waiter, the same one who had brought his first glass. If Gunter didn’t like it, he could shove off. “I hardly need Corrin’s money. Though I’d been _hoping_ I would have the pleasure of his company alone…”

“And yet you made a reservation for three.”

“Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.” The waiter brought two glasses of wine, though Gunter hadn’t asked for one. Neither of them saw fit to complain. “After all, the two of you seem to be attached at the hip nowadays.”

“Only because Corrin insists on draping himself all over the likes of _you_.” Gunter narrowed his eyes at him over the rim of his wine glass. “Corrin may not be a child any longer, but he’s certainly not experienced enough in the ways of the world to fully understand what he’s getting into… as his caretaker, it’s my duty to—”

“Oh, stuff it, old man.” Iago waved him off as he rested his back against the chair, leaning slightly. It was hardly proper posture, but there was no one sitting at the table who he wanted to impress. “Everyone _knows_ why you’re so ‘protective’ over Corrin… it’s all over the office. You should just be thankful that Garon has never bothered to interact with the ants that scurry around the place.”

Gunter’s glare got sharper, and he held his wine glass with a white-knuckled grip Iago was surprised didn’t shatter the thing. Obviously, he’d touched a nerve. Good—he’d meant to.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. And if it were anyone else, I would tell you to think twice before telling me to ‘stuff it’… but I know a scoundrel like you will never change.”

Well, _that_ was a barb if he’d ever heard one… and it stung more than he liked to admit. Not because he cared what Gunter thought about him—not in the slightest—but because he felt like Gunter’s opinion of him might colour Corrin’s. And he’d been making a… _genuine_ effort to be more courteous, if not necessarily a better person, for his sake.

Still, all it told him was that his suspicions were correct. Gunter wasn’t the sort of man to trade petty insults so blatantly unless he was truly annoyed—more annoyed than even Iago was capable of coaxing from him, usually. And since he really had nothing better to do… maybe he could get Gunter to storm out. Or better yet, get himself _thrown_ out. Then it would just be him and Corrin…

“You know full well what I’m talking about, Gunter. Maybe it was even one of those servant brats you manage who started tongues a wagging. But everyone knows you’re in love with Corrin.”

Gunter choked on his wine. Good. That was exactly the kind of reaction he’d been hoping for. The look on Gunter’s face—part shock, part rage, and part guilt—brought a smile to his own.

“So, before you go lecturing me about Corrin being some vulnerable, sheltered young man, perhaps consider where _you_ stand on the matter.” He took a sip of his wine, which was difficult given the smirk on his face.

“To accuse me of such a disgusting thing…! Corrin is practically my own son!” Gunter’s voice had lowered to little more than a hiss, but that only amplified the venom in his tone.

“Mm. Your words, not mine.” He set his wine down and leaned his head against his fist, admiring the look of pure rage on Gunter’s face. He was often such a composed, put together man… seeing him come unhinged from mere water cooler gossip was a sight. “Not that I care.”

“You don’t care about the thought of another man being in love with Corrin?”

“Not really,” he replied, though he hadn’t really thought about it before then. He knew he probably should be, according to most sources… but since nothing about his situation with Corrin was typical, it didn’t seem important. “Though I find your discomfort with the whole situation _deliciously_ satisfying. Not to worry, though… I won’t say a word to Corrin.”

Not out of any sense of generosity, of course… which he knew Gunter fully understood. He just wanted to see him squirm for as long as possible.

“You bas—”

“Sorry I’m late!”

They had been so absorbed in their trading of barbs that neither of them noticed Corrin approaching the table. And Corrin, in his infinite optimism, completely failed to notice the tension between them. He merely sat down at the table with a sheepish smile on his face, fiddling with one of the out-of-place locks of hair that always stuck out no matter how much he tried to brush it down. He always did so when he was nervous…

“Felicia spilled her mop bucket all over me, so I had to try to find a different suit—I mean, I’m just thankful that Silas and I are still the same size, more or less—”

“You’re rambling, Corrin.”

Iago gave him a look of fond exasperation. Corrin immediately stopped talking and switched to a nervous chuckling that didn’t seem to have an end in sight.

“Anyway, it’s not like it was a total loss—Gunter and I spent some time catching up while you were running late. Didn’t we, Gunter?” Iago reached for his wine again to hide his self-satisfied smirk from Corrin, and Gunter did the same to hide his harsh frown as he searched for a good answer.

“…I suppose we did. Though mostly we only discussed baseless rumors.”

“Really? I’m… surprised.” And he certainly looked it. Corrin always wore his heart on his sleeve and his every expression bright on his face. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the two of you have a real conversation.”

Iago watched Gunter fight with the urge to make a scathing comment about that. Iago had a few things to say about that himself… but like Gunter, he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut with Corrin around.

“We _have_ been… acquainted… for many years.” Even saying that much seemed to be getting to him. Iago realized he must be more ruffled than he’d thought. “Even if we’ve never really seen eye to eye.”

Corrin chuckled nervously. Maybe he’d finally picked up on the absolutely _venomous_ looks Gunter was giving him. He decided to bury his face in his menu, and Iago followed suit, not because he was nervous but because he _was_ getting quite hungry.

He didn’t want to spend this entire evening just staring at Gunter, after all.

 

* * *

 

 Iago tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the stumbling valet to bring his car around. He stopped tapping his foot when Corrin slid in next to him and looped his arm through his own at the elbow, resting his head against Iago’s shoulder.

The evening hadn’t been ideal, but it certainly hadn’t been as bad as he’d been expecting. Gunter had kept his mouth shut for most of the night, likely to avoid saying something he might regret. If Iago had known that little rumor would produce such a visceral reaction, he certainly would have brought it up earlier…

“Sorry about Gunter,” Corrin said, squeezing his arm. “He’s just… worried about me. We did kind of surprise everyone. And I know the two of you have a… _history_.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Gunter was doubtless one of his biggest detractors. Corrin was very naïve to ignore all the advice Gunter had surely given him about staying away from him… or perhaps he had a larger rebellious streak than Iago thought.

(He was grateful, either way.)

“He can’t treat me like a little kid forever, but… I want him to get it out of his system. And I have a hard time saying no to him. So… sorry about this whole chaperone routine. It won’t be like this forever I promise.”

Corrin turned his face to bury it in Iago’s shoulder. He looked peaceful, content—an expression he wasn’t used to seeing on people around him. Corrin had always been full of surprises…

“Ahem.”

Corrin jumped, but Iago wasn’t much surprised when Gunter appeared at their side. He raised an eyebrow at their display of affection. Iago returned with a look of his own, challenging him to say anything. Gunter didn’t rise to the bait, but really, he won either way.

“Silas is waiting for us just around the corner, Corrin,” he said, folding his hands behind his back and looking only at Corrin, as if Iago wasn’t even there. “It would be impolite to keep him waiting.”

“Right, right! You go on ahead, Gunter. I’ll be there in just a minute, okay?” Corrin kept his face half-buried in Iago’s shoulder and looked up at Gunter shyly from under his bangs.

Iago didn’t miss the look on Gunter’s face, and didn’t even try to keep the smug grin off his own.

Gunter looked quite conflicted, but eventually he resigned himself to it.

“Don’t take too long, alright?” He turned and took his leave from them, disappearing around the corner behind one of the hedges that the restaurant had growing around the perimeter.

“I suppose a moment alone is better than nothing… especially since that valet seems to be taking an age.” He glowered in the general direction the valet had scurried off to retrieve his car, but Corrin reached up to cup his cheek in his hand and turn him to face him.

There wasn’t much of a height difference between them—just enough that Iago had to bend his neck ever so slightly when Corrin drew him down for a kiss. It was short and sweet, befitting a public encounter, but enough to make the whole night worth it…

(Gods, he was becoming a sap, wasn’t he?)

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow?” Corrin kept his hand on the side of Iago’s face, his thumb idly running over his cheekbone. He liked the feeling of it.

“I’ll stop by for a visit if I have the time.”

“Don’t be an ass.”

Corrin kissed him again, grinning against his lips, before pulling away and dashing off around the corner, waving goodbye over his shoulder. Though Corrin couldn’t see him, Iago waved back.

 

* * *

 

 Gunter was surprised to find the house in perfect condition when he returned. Normally leaving for a few hours was a luxury paid for by needing to spend just as much time putting everything back together. Sometimes that meant cleaning up Felicia’s messes that Jakob and Flora hadn’t yet gotten to—and sometimes that meant picking up the pieces of Felicia’s shattered nerves once Jakob was through with her.

Things were… quiet, though. As soon as they were in the door Corrin yawned, wished him a goodnight, and whisked himself off to bed, though whether he was actually that tired or just wanting to text Iago in peace was debatable. Gunter didn’t devote much thought to it; it was rare had he a few hours to himself, after all. And he had other things to think about.

Iago’s comments… they had been designed to irritate him, certainly, but he couldn’t ignore the possibility that they were true. The part about such rumors being spread around the office, of course. It would only take a single off-hand comment… maybe from the scoundrel himself…

He certainly couldn’t understand Corrin’s taste in men. He could think of dozens more suitable partners… Hell, he could think of more suitable _scoundrels_. But he was well and truly smitten with Iago, it seemed, against all reason…

Gods… he was _angry_ at the whole situation. Maybe even irrationally so. Maybe even… to the point of jealousy…

He was going to need more wine. A lot of wine. And with Jakob, Felicia, Flora, and especially Corrin nestled into bed, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to indulge just a little…

 

* * *

 

 Corrin knew he shouldn’t be awake so late. He had work in the morning, after all. But he couldn’t help it—he just felt full of energy. He’d been on his phone for a while, then he’d tried tossing and turning in the dark for a while… he’d even tried a bit of light reading. But there was a fluttering in his stomach and a lightness in his chest that wouldn’t let him fall asleep.

He wandered down the dark hallway towards the stairs, and to the kitchen beyond. A nice warm drink might help him fall asleep. He walked carefully, not wanting to trip; he didn’t want to turn on the lights and accidentally wake someone up. Which was why it was so odd when he rounded the corner and saw light coming from the living room.

Corrin poked his head in to see if perhaps Gunter had forgotten to turn off a lamp before going to bed. He was surprised to see Gunter sitting in an armchair under a reading lamp with a glass of wine in hand.

“Gunter…?” He crept inside, worrying he might be disturbing something private. And when Gunter turned to look at him, the expression on his face certainly wasn’t a welcoming one. “Is everything alright?”

“Corrin? You really should be asleep at this hour,” he said, sitting up so suddenly he spilled a few drops of wine on the floor at his feet—hardwood and not carpet, thankfully.

“I’m… just having some trouble falling asleep,” he said, stepping forward to lean over the back of the couch next to Gunter’s armchair. “I’m going to get some cocoa or something, then try again. What about you?”

“Me? I… suppose it’s just a rare opportunity, getting to be alone with my thoughts,” he said, and turned to stare off into the middle distance.

“…oh.” It made sense, since Gunter seemed to be running around after them most hours of the day. Corrin couldn’t think of the last time he’d seen him take a proper break, never mind a vacation. “I’ll just… leave you to that, then.”

“…Corrin, wait.”

He turned back around and found Gunter looking at him with a strange expression. Something he’d never seen on his face before. It was warm, but he couldn’t quite place it… thought that might have something to do with the half-empty bottle of wine on the end table behind him.

“Come here for a moment.”

“Oh… okay.”

He stepped forwards, moving around the couch. He stopped next to Gunter’s armchair and rocked back on his heels.

Gunter reached out and took one of his hands. He ran his thumb over the back of Corrin’s knuckles, and he could feel years of hard work in his rough palm and callouses…

Even though it had been years since he’d really had a chance to compare them, Gunter’s hands were still as big as he remembered them being. And warm… gentle…

It took longer than it probably should have for Corrin to realize that the situation was weird. Especially with Gunter giving him that strange, warm look…

“I-I should go to bed!” He yanked his hand away from Gunter, trying to hurry off before Gunter could notice that his face was starting to heat up. “A-and so should you! It’s late!”

The look on Gunter’s face changed to confusion, and then something like dawning horror. He turned the same bright shade of red Corrin was sure he was turning, and it had nothing to do with his wine.

“Yes, of course… must have lost track of the time…” He murmured something to himself as he gathered up his wine and the glass, and with his back turned, Corrin took the chance to escape back to his room—nearly tripping on the stairs in the process.

He jumped right into bed and pulled the duvet over his head, as if to cocoon himself. His heart was racing, and he was certain that had nothing to do with the fact that he’d just sprinted to his bedroom. He tried to will himself to calm down and go to sleep, but if he hadn’t been sleepy before, he was certainly _wide awake_ now…

Instead he reached for his phone. There was one person he could trust to be awake—and probably still working—no matter how late at night it was…

 

* * *

 

  _We should have lunch._

It wasn’t exactly an unusual text to receive. For Gunter, though… well, he didn’t have many friends. And he recognized the number, though he didn’t have it saved as a contact for… obvious reasons…

_I thought you had enough of me after last night._

_Projecting much? We need to talk._

A handful of pictures came through. Screenshots of other conversations. As Gunter read through them, the bottom of his stomach fell out.

_So: We should have lunch._

A long pause.

_When and where?_

And that was how Gunter found himself at a quiet café just a block from the apartment building where Iago worked. He checked his watch every few minutes, wanting nothing more than to get up and leave, but Iago was right—they did need to have a talk. It was unbelievably rude for him to keep him waiting like this…

He must have been distracted by his watch when Iago came in, because the first he saw of him was when he sat across from him with a coffee already in hand. He even raised it in a little mock toast… complete with shit-eating grin.

(Gunter would have been happier to see him angry, in all honesty.)

“You know how much I love to see you squirm, but it’s almost _boring_ when you do all of the work for me.” He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. Gunter just wanted to punch him in his smug face, but since he’d been battling the urge for literal _years_ , he could probably hold off for one more afternoon.

“I was exhausted, and drunk. I behaved inappropriately towards Corrin, and I intended to apologize this morning, but he rushed out of the house before I had a chance to speak to him.” Though he knew he hadn’t been the earliest riser after staying up so late, for someone like Corrin to be up and out of the house before him had to have been planned. Just getting him to work on time was often a challenge…

“You held his hand. How risqué.” Now Iago’s coffee sipping seemed almost sarcastic. Leave it to a man like him to be able to convey sarcasm and sass through virtually all of his actions.

“If you only called me out here to make fun of me…”

“I can multitask, can’t I?” Iago rolled his eyes at him. “Mostly I called you out here to tell you to stop being an idiot.”

Gunter sputtered, though he wasn’t even drinking anything—he wanted to _spit_.

“ _Excuse_ me?”

“You heard me. Honestly, if I have to put up with this ridiculous dance around the obvious for one more day, I might have to shoot someone. Corrin might have the excuse of being coddled, but _you_ certainly don’t.”

“Iago, if you’re implying what I think you’re implying…”

“Do you even understand how _ridiculous_ it is that _I_ have to be the one to give you relationship advice? It’s _incomprehensible_.” Somewhere along the line, Iago shifted from being amused to being completely exasperated. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“All of this pot stirring you’re attempting won’t work on me, Iago. I know your games, and I refuse to play them.”

“Did you even read those texts I sent you?” Iago rested his head in the palm of his hand and raised an eyebrow at Gunter. “You and Corrin clearly have a lot to talk about, and I really don’t need to be his 3am sounding board for this.”

Gunter… stared at Iago for a while. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Of all the people he would expect to hear this sort of nonsense from… Corrin’s disreputable so-called _boyfriend_ was the last person he could have imagined.

“And you’re… _alright_ with all of this?”

“I already told you so, didn’t I?” Iago rolled his eyes again. “Honestly, anything that would get you to stop acting so high and mighty can only be a good thing. Though of course, it really all depends on Corrin. He’s sort of the important part in all this.”

“Iago… I can’t even begin to understand your relationship with Corrin. Or you, for that matter.” Then again, he’d never really been able to understand Iago… he’d never understood his dedication to Garon, his unorthodox and unscrupulous methods of accomplishing his goals, or his habit of working himself half to death. Iago and Corrin seemed to be one more thing he was destined to never quite understand. Though Iago seemed to be offering him an… opportunity, perhaps, to understand it a little better.

“Did you think anything involving Corrin and I would be what you would think of as typical? Look, old man… just talk to Corrin. Maybe then I’ll be able to get some work done.”

Gunter narrowed his eyes at Iago. He might have had more to say, but that was when the waitress came over, distracting him.

Well… it wouldn’t hurt to have a chat with Corrin. In fact, he was certain that they really _needed_ to have one. To what end he wasn’t sure, but…

It was time to see where things might go from there, he supposed.


	2. communication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Iago's interference, Gunter and Corrin have an overdue chat-- and thanks to more meddling, things go places neither of them expected them to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is guys! Two days late, but I started a new job on Friday, so I still think I did pretty well.
> 
> Enjoy the conclusion to these boys and their nonsense-- which ended up being just as outrageously long as the first chapter.

“G-Gunter? Are you… saying you love me?”

Gunter couldn’t even _imagine_ a time in his life when he was more embarrassed than he was right now. He couldn’t even muster the courage to look at Corrin’s face. If there was disgust or pity there… he wasn’t sure he could handle it.

When Corrin reached out and put his hand over Gunter’s, something like a spark passed between them. Finally, he looked up, afraid to see the pity he knew must be there… and was surprised to see nothing of the sort.

“Corrin…?”

“Please—just tell me. I don’t want to… get the wrong idea.” His face was the color of a ripe tomato, and he seemed to be having just as much trouble meeting Gunter’s eyes as the other way round—in fact, his head was dipped in such a way that he was peering at him almost tantalizingly through thick lashes.

“I… I am. I’m so sorry, Corrin…”

“For… for what?” Corrin squeezed his hand as he reached for the other. “You shouldn’t apologize for your feelings… especially when they’re…”

Corrin trailed off and turned his head. If possible, he seemed to be getting even _more_ red.

“When they’re…?” He didn’t want to push, but he _had_ to. He _had_ to know what Corrin was going to say—thanks to Iago’s meddling and his own inebriated lack of boundaries, this was no longer something he could sweep under the rug, or ignore in his own heart.

“I… I’m sorry, Gunter, I shouldn’t have said anything.” Corrin dropped his hands and started wringing his own, staring down at his feet.

“Corrin, you know you can tell me anything. I… know this might change things, but… I still want you to feel like you can talk to me.” He wasn’t sure what he would do if Corrin suddenly felt like he couldn’t trust him… if he irreparably changed the tone of their relationship for a simple moment of painful truth, he wasn’t sure he could live with himself.

“I do! I do, it’s just… it doesn’t seem… fair.” Corrin looked back up at him with almost watery eyes; he didn’t look like he was on the brink of crying, but he certainly did look upset. “Not fair to… Iago.”

“…oh.”

Gunter could feel himself flushing, probably not far from the shade of beet red that Corrin was sporting. He cleared his throat.

“If it makes you feel any better, Corrin… Iago was the one who pointed me in your direction. He wanted me to talk to you today, and… I think he was aware of the situation even before I was.” Or, at least, even before he wanted to admit it to himself. He still wasn’t sure whether he believed his assertion that it was ‘water cooler gossip’, but for all his faults—and there were _many_ , with Gunter being pleased to give anyone who asked an itemized list—Iago was a very observant man.

“He… he was? He did?” Corrin’s eyebrows jumped up his face like he’d been shocked. He paused to think, then winced. “O-oh… because of the texts I sent him, right?”

“I imagine so. And… I apologize for my behaviour that night… It was entirely inappropriate.” He hadn’t even been drunk, not really… not anywhere inebriated enough to explain his behaviour, and nothing would be enough to excuse it.

“It really wasn’t that bad, Gunter. It just surprised me. Mostly because… because it made me feel something. I wasn’t expecting it, and… I guess I was ashamed.” He turned his head so he wouldn’t be looking Gunter in the eye any longer; even his ears were bright red. “I… I love Iago, Gunter. I know you’ve never approved of him, and the two of you get along like cats and dogs—though I appreciate you making an effort to act civil for me.” The smallest smile appeared on his face for a moment, though Gunter couldn’t see it very clearly; then he sighed and it was gone. “But I do love him. And feeling attracted to another man at the same time made me feel guilty.”

“You shouldn’t feel like that, Corrin. It’s perfectly natural; it’s all a matter of how you approach it. And you did so very maturely.” He did the sensible thing; had a frank discussion with his lover when something seemed to be amiss. Part of him was proud that Corrin knew how to approach such situations in such a mature manner, and part of him was simply embarrassed that his own approach had been so… _uncomfortable_.

“Thank you, Gunter… but I still feel like I’m betraying him, somehow. And… a lot of my feelings aren’t really clear right now.” At least Corrin was looking at him again.

Gunter had to agree with him there. He’d… acknowledged that his feelings for Corrin were romantic, against all his wishes, though he wasn’t sure he could say he’d ‘come to terms’ with them yet. That… would take a lot of soul searching. He couldn’t even imagine how Corrin felt, and couldn’t help but worry that maybe he’d backed him into a corner with his actions… like Corrin was confusing other things for romantic feelings, because of how he’d acted towards him.

“I… think you should have another talk with Iago.” _Those_ were words he’d never imagined himself saying. “As much as I don’t like him, I also don’t want my feelings to interfere with your happiness.”

“Gunter… thank you.” Corrin reached out to take his hands again. He felt… _guilty_ over how much he enjoyed the warmth of Corrin’s hands in his own… “You’ve always put me first. I’m… still sorry, about all of this.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, Corrin,” he said, squeezing his hands. If anyone should be sorry, it was him… and he certainly was.

It was better that Corrin have a chat with Iago, because the next time _he_ spoke with him, it wasn’t going to be very friendly.

 

* * *

 

 “So? Why don’t you just give it a chance?”

Corrin stared blankly at Iago. He… couldn’t quite understand what he was saying.

“…what?” Ah yes, very articulate. Still, he felt it got his feelings across nicely.

“If you’re so conflicted, you might as well give it a chance. I mean, it’s not as though you could ruin your relationship with him any further.”

Iago sipped his coffee oh so leisurely; he wasn’t even looking at Corrin, he was still preoccupied with his laptop. Which was… fairly typical of their unplanned together time.

“Are you… really suggesting that I go on a _date_ with Gunter?”

“That is what I said, yes.” Another sip of coffee. “Really, I hope you both understand the _complete_ absurdity of me giving anyone any kind of relationship advice. Even to _you_.”

Corrin wasn’t sure whether that was a jab at him or a self-deprecating comment, but he really didn’t care. He had other things to be concerned about.

“And you… would be okay with that? With me going on a date with someone else?” There was a cold feeling in the pit of Corrin’s stomach. He couldn’t help it—from day one, there had been a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that soon enough Iago would get sick of him and his naivety. Since Gunter had said Iago was aware of his feelings, he couldn’t help but feel like all of this was some kind of elaborate setup—a way of letting him down easy.

(Though that _did_ sound rather too nice for Iago…)

Iago sighed and reached up to take his glasses off; he only wore them when working on his laptop or on physical paperwork, which was frankly most of the time. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Corrin, I’m going to let you in on a little secret—until I got to know you, I had zero interest in romance. Less than zero, perhaps.” He tapped the arm of his glasses on his desk. “And as much as I care for you… _love_ you, even… I have zero patience for most of the romantic nonsense you’re so invested in.”

Well… Corrin couldn’t argue with that. Iago’s work-life balance was non-existent, in large part because his work _was_ his life, and his preferred ways to spend his downtime were very different from Corrin’s. Not that he minded. Iago took him places and did things he had a feeling he would _never_ do if anyone else (short of his father) asked it of him, and his complaints were minimal—for Iago, at least.

(Maybe the sheer number of romance novels he’d read had given him unrealistic expectations…)

“Gunter, though… he buys into all of that romantic… _stuff._ ” Corrin got the distinct feeling that Iago was choosing his words carefully to be nice—which also wasn’t very Iago-like. “He’ll be better at it than I am, certainly—I’ll admit, he has _some_ uses.”

“Iago… I just want to clarify. You’re okay with me—seeing if Gunter and I can actually… work that way…” It was strange to even think about—Gunter had been more of a father to him than Garon ever had, but he couldn’t help the attraction he felt, and he couldn’t ignore Gunter’s feelings either. “But you’re not breaking up with me.”

“Never.” Iago’s answer was quick—almost too quick. He reached out to grab his hand and gripped it tightly. “But let’s be real, Corrin—you offer me a lot more than I offer you.”

“That’s not true—”

“It is, and I don’t need your pity.” Iago rolled his eyes so hard Corrin imagined them flying right out of his head. “I’m a man of many talents… but personal relationships aren’t one of them. You managed to worm your way into my life, but honestly… I wouldn’t mind someone taking some of the pressure off of me.”

Corrin was… flabbergasted. He had no idea how to feel about any of this, and his feelings had already been complicated enough _before_ talking to Iago.

Not that he could say he was _against_ the idea… it just wasn’t something he’d ever considered before. Then again, most of his ideas of romance _did_ come from books and television, as Iago was quick to remind him. And his relationship with Iago had hardly been typical from the start.

“…you really wouldn’t mind?” He felt himself burning up, his cheeks turning red and most of his face following suit. Iago smirked, tapping his finger against the rim of his coffee—at his blushing, he hoped, and not at his question.

“Go out,” he said, waving his hand. “Have a good time. Tell me all about it. And if it’s a complete disaster… I _definitely_ want to hear all about it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Corrin said, laughing nervously. It might have been a joke coming from anyone else… but Corrin knew better than to make that assumption with Iago.

 

* * *

 

 “…Gunter?”

Gunter looked up from his work when he heard Corrin’s meek voice drift in through his office door. It was a surprising amount of work, managing Corrin’s household—wages, expenses, bills… all of it was up to him. But none of it was ever as important as Corrin himself.

“Yes, Corrin? What do you need?”

Corrin stepped into his office and closed the door behind him, leaning back against it. With his hands folded behind his back and his face the same shade of bright red Gunter was so familiar with, he looked like he wanted nothing more than to run away.

“Corrin? Is everything alright? You seem… tense.”

“Yes! Everything’s fine.” Corrin gave him a smile that was clearly forced; he could see in his eyes how nervous he was. “I just… have something really important to ask you.”

“You know you can ask me anything.” He set aside his work, so he would be able to focus his full attention on Corrin.

“So… I talked to Iago, like you recommended.” Corrin dipped his head and stared at him through his bangs and eyelashes, exactly like before.

“Oh?” Gunter felt a little sick upon hearing that. He’d been almost hoping for their previous conversation to be forgotten about, or for Corrin to _pretend_ it had been forgotten… though he knew that was terribly unfair. He was the one who’d caused the problem in the first place, after all.

“Yeah… and he suggested something I found… _odd_ , but I thought it might be worth a chance, and…” Corrin chewed on his lower lip. “Would you… like to go on a date with me?”

Gunter stared at Corrin. He wasn’t sure if he’d heard him right, or if he was just… hallucinating. Maybe he had fallen asleep while working and was having some kind of dream. A lovely dream… or perhaps a nightmare.

“Gunter… are you alright?”

He realized he’d been staring at Corrin completely silently since he’d posed his question, and Corrin was looking… deeply concerned. He cleared his throat.

“Sorry, Corrin… you just caught me off guard.” He took a deep breath. A deep, _calming_ breath… “A… date? Are you… sure about that?”

“Yes!” Even Corrin looked surprised at how emphatically he said that. “I-I mean… yes. I would. I think… it would be a bad idea for us to ignore all of this between us. And… Iago said he didn’t mind. In fact, he kind of… encouraged it.”

Encouraged it? Well… after the conversation he’d had with him, Gunter wasn’t really that surprised. He was still convinced Iago had some kind of plan up his sleeve. Why else would he go to all this trouble? He could see Iago being blasé about Corrin seeing other men without straining his imagination, but he seemed… oddly invested in this endeavor. And Iago was never invested in anything that wasn’t work, or at least in his own best interest.

“Well… if you’re certain it’s what you want, I would be delighted.” He smiled, quite genuinely. He always wanted to spend time with Corrin, when time permitted… if he thought about it that way, maybe he wouldn’t feel horribly awkward about this ‘date’. Then again, he did have to address what had been bothering him since their unfortunate chat the other day… “But I do want to make sure it’s what _you_ want, Corrin.”

“What do you mean?” Corrin tilted his head at him, like a confused dog. It was endearing, but this was a serious matter.

“You never explicitly said you return my feelings. Just now you said it was Iago’s encouragement that prompted you to ask me on a date. You’ve always been so eager to please everyone around you—I just want to be certain you’re doing this because it’s what _you_ want, not because of either of us.”

Corrin looked shocked by that, but Gunter had known him all his life, and he knew that he would sacrifice just about anything for the people he cared about. It was an admirable trait, but a worrying one—and a large part of the reason he’d been so suspicious of his and Iago’s relationship. He’d always known Iago to be quick to take advantage of a person’s selflessness for his own sake. He was coming to terms with Iago’s feelings for Corrin being genuine, but that didn’t mean Iago wasn’t a manipulative bastard…

“…it’s what I want,” Corrin finally replied, after digesting his comment. “For us to give it a try. See where it goes. It’s better than us dancing around the subject, pretending none of this ever happened.”

“That does make sense,” Gunter agreed. “It’s not as though things could be any _more_ awkward.”

“You’re right about that…” Corrin laughed awkwardly. “So… how about Saturday? Dinner? We don’t have to go anywhere fancy…”

“Dinner sounds lovely.”

“Great! I guess… since we both live here, we can just figure out the details then. I’ll leave you to your work!”

Corrin let out another nervous laugh and gave him a little nervous wave as he shuffled back out of the room, making sure to close the door as quietly as possible.

Gunter leaned back in his chair and sighed. He removed his reading glasses to rub his eyes—and he couldn’t resist giving himself a small pinch on the wrist.

It hurt, which meant this _wasn’t_ a dream. And honestly—he wasn’t sure whether to be happy about that or not. Corrin was right… if they just ignored it, they would be walking on eggshells around each other for the rest of their lives. But if something went terribly wrong, it might ruin their relationship forever… all over something Gunter was still having trouble processing, or even admitting to himself, and something Corrin hadn’t even been able to say outright.

Maybe, though… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Even if nothing came of it, he and Corrin had always enjoyed their time together, and there was no reason this dinner had to be any different.

All he had to do was convince himself of that and he’d be golden.

 

* * *

 

Corrin had been out all day Saturday, leaving Gunter plenty of time to complete his daily duties. He’d even given the servants the rest of the day off—though he wouldn’t say it out loud for concern he would use it as an opportunity to get complacent, Jakob desperately needed to take some time off now and then.

Now he stood in front of his bathroom mirror, adjusting his tie and making sure his cuff links were on straight. Corrin had said they didn’t need to go anywhere fancy, but if they were going to do this, he wanted to do it _right_ … and Corrin deserved the very best.

His phone rang, nearly vibrating itself off the counter before he caught it. He tucked it between his ear and shoulder as reached for his cologne.

“Hello?”

“ _Evening, Gunter. Almost ready for your_ date _?”_

He rolled his eyes; he should have expected Iago’s call, and he especially should have expected his melodrama.

“Oh, I would say so.” He shifted the phone to his other ear as he dabbed some cologne just under his ear. “And are you going to enjoy a night of take out and paperwork?”

_“Not to worry, old man—I have plans for the evening.”_ In the background he heard a car door opening and some indistinct murmurs. _“Oh, looks like I’ll have to let you go—see you later.”_

It was a strangely warm goodbye for Iago, and Gunter couldn’t help but feel unnerved. He also couldn’t understand why he’d called in the first place, unless it was to try to psyche him out—he rarely tried to understand what was going through Iago’s mind, but he seemed especially difficult to parse lately.

He had just finished with his preparations when he heard a car pull up in front of the house. He expected it to be Silas’ car, and was surprised to see a black car he— _unfortunately_ —recognized.

As he stepped out the front door, Corrin climbed out of the passenger seat, waving to him. He was dressed in his best suit and was already red as a tomato.

“Gunter! Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, Gunter, ready to go?”

His expression changed from fond when looking at Corrin to exasperated and annoyed when Iago got out of the driver’s seat and leaned against the side of his car. The grin on Iago’s face certainly didn’t help…

“Hello, Iago,” he said, resisting the urge to grit his teeth. “I… was wondering where you were all day, Corrin.”

“Sorry I didn’t say anything… it was kind of a last minute thing, and I figured since you had work…”

“All my fault,” Iago said with a wave of his hand. “I just so happened to have some unexpected free time today, and I figured since you’d be taking up Corrin’s evening…”

“No need to apologize.” Gunter looked at Corrin as he said that, since Iago hadn’t apologized at all. “Shall we head out, then?”

“Actually, about that…” Corrin laughed nervously and wrung his hands.

Gunter’s heart sank. He was sure Corrin was going to call off their date after giving it more thought, especially if he’d spent the entire day with Iago.

“Whenever Corrin was out with me, you were so adamant about him having a chaperone… I came around to your way of thinking after a while.” He’d seen that grin on Iago’s face before—most recently when he was first telling him everyone already knew he was in love with Corrin. It never meant anything good. “You may be Corrin’s guardian, but I don’t think given the circumstances you should be given any special treatment, hm?”

Gunter glared daggers at Iago. He really only had two options; the first was to call Iago out for how ridiculous the notion was, which would only give him ammunition against him, as he’d been subjecting him to the same treatment since he’d started to date Corrin—he had good reason to, of course, but Iago would be quick to twist that to his own advantage. The other was… to let Iago force his way into his and Corrin’s evening.

(The same way he’d done to Corrin and Iago, admittedly, but…)

“I… suppose that’s fair,” he forced himself to say, closing his eyes and talking a deep, calming breath. “Though it seems to defeat the purpose of the night. Corrin and I are hardly going to be able to have a frank discussion with you there, are we?”

“Honestly, the two of you… if you haven’t gotten it figured out by now, my being there isn’t going to do much.” Iago rolled his eyes.

“You two play nice, okay? I’m just going to run in and freshen up, I’ll only be a minute.” Corrin scampered inside, leaving the two of them alone together.

“I don’t understand you, Iago.” With Corrin gone, Gunter didn’t feel the need to withhold his comments any longer—and he didn’t imagine Iago felt any differently. “You went to such lengths to set this up, for reasons I _still_ don’t understand, and now you seem intent on sabotaging it.”

“Of course you don’t understand; you’ve never thought of me as anything more than a malicious bastard.” Iago’s grin faded; now he just looked tired. “And I am one, I’ll grant you that. But I care about Corrin, and want him to be happy. If that includes you in the picture, so be it. Besides, keeping up with both my work and Corrin’s needs… it’s exhausting. On the other hand, _you’re_ used to running around after him.”

“If that’s the case, you’re coming on our date because…? I know you can hold a grudge, but you’re not the sort of person to let that get in the way of your own plans.”

“Because _I_ know _you_ , Gunter, and if you think I’m going to let you’re ‘alone time’ with Corrin be used to poison him against me, you’ve lost your mind.” Iago glared at him, and Gunter glared back.

“I had no intentions of doing anything like that, Iago. I’m not you, and I’m willing to let Corrin make his own mistakes; if you’ve really changed, good on you, and if you haven’t, I’ll be here to pick up the pieces when he realizes what a snake you really are.” By the end of it, his voice had gone so low he was sure Iago was having a hard time hearing him—but he was also sure it got his point across nicely. “If you’re dead set on believing otherwise, then I suppose I can tolerate having you around for one night. As long as you behave yourself. I’ve made a lot of effort to be friendly with you for Corrin’s sake, and I expect you to return the favor.”

“Fine. Deal. Should we shake on it?”

“Only if you want to lose your hand.”

“Works for me.”

“Sorry, guys! I’m ready to go now.”

Gunter almost jumped at the sound of Corrin’s voice, he was so caught up in his tiff with Iago. When Corrin looped his arm through his at the elbow, though… his anger hid itself away in the back of his mind. Corrin certainly had an effect on people…

“Excellent. I made us reservations at The Northern Rooftop. And since Iago drove here, I don’t suppose he would mind playing _chauffeur_ for the evening as well as chaperone?” Gunter couldn’t help it; he let the smallest smug smile worm its way onto his face. Iago offered his own tense smile back.

“That… will be fine, I suppose.” Gunter almost missed the small twitch just below his eye. “But I don’t know my way to that _particular_ restaurant… here’s hoping there’s plenty of time before your reservation.”

“Oh, not to worry. I can guide you there myself.”

Iago and Gunter locked eyes with smiles on their faces and venom in their eyes, with Corrin hanging off of Gunter’s arm none the wiser.

He was afraid to admit it, but… he could almost get used to this.


End file.
